All four are still floating on the playoff boat. After going through the Talladega chaos, Rick Hendrick’s drivers found themselves above the elimination cut line. William Byron was the only one to advance to the Round of 8, while the others stuck around. However, only one of them has shown remarkable consistency through the postseason – Alex Bowman. The No. 48 team has been on a stellar streak of three top-ten finishes in four races, good for a 9.5 average finish.

Most importantly, Bowman stands out in terms of maximum points earned – 53. So Hendrick’s unacknowledged star may be on the fast track to a potential trophy. Bowman himself is overflowing with confidence despite a relatively parched trophy cabinet in 2024.

Alex Bowman believes in Phoenix

While two of Rick Hendrick’s drivers overcame tremendous adversity the past season, only one favored the public eye. While Most Popular Driver Chase Elliott emerged from his 2023 slumber early with a Texas win, Alex Bowman still had to prove himself. Since the Next-Gen car’s debut in 2022, Bowman has missed 8 races due to injuries – five in ’22 and three last year. This season, he tasted his ‘bourbon’ victory at Chicago and again fell into a slumber. The No. 48 team stayed far from Victory Lane and finished worse.

This parched performance may hurt him in the playoffs. Both William Byron and Kyle Larson have the insurance points from multiple wins in the regular season – three and four respectively. So Alex Bowman may need to step up, as fierce rivals exist in his own team. Yet when the press asked him if Bowman could make it stick on points, he was confident – “Yeah.” Bowman also delivered a pat on his back for the smooth runs through the postseason: “Consistency has definitely gone a long way so far.” 

The No. 48 team picked up valuable points at every stage of every postseason race – except for the chaotic 28-car Talladega wreck in stage 2 of that race. So Alex Bowman’s silent progression may translate into a championship. However, the possibility is still under speculation as Bowman needs a win under his belt. He admitted as much: “I mean, you’re still gonna have to go and win or really close to win Phoenix, right? I think the round of 8, realistically with the playoff point situation we’re in, we’ll have to win.”

His team’s vice chairman has a whole lot of faith in Bowman. That may propel him towards a surefire victory soon enough.

Bowman is not acknowledged where it matters

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The No. 48 team not only faced racetrack struggles, but it also had to weather a storm of misconception surrounding Alex Bowman’s future. Yet Bowman makes up for that lack of appreciation within Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon, HMS’ vice chairman and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, believes in Bowman’s prowess. After all, Bowman owns victories in a multitude of tracks, spelling his versatility.

These include Chicagoland Speedway (1.52-mile tri-oval), Dover Motor Speedway (1-mile, high-banked, concrete oval), and the Chicago Street Course (2.14-mile street circuit). He has yet to win at superspeedway, but since 2021, Bowman is eighth in terms of average finish at 17.1.

So Gordon is amply justified in pouring a lot of faith in Bowman’s championship run. “Alex … when the pressure is on – either it’s a must-win or he’s got the lead and he has one of the toughest competitors breathing down his neck – he delivers. That tells you a lot about him as a person, him as a competitor, and them as a team. So, you can’t count them out by any means.” He added that just a little grit is needed: “I think if they can execute and get the momentum on their side, clean up a few things they’re working on to make the team stronger, I think they can surprise a lot of people and go very deep and even make it to Phoenix.”

Alex Bowman is on a mission – to topple his rivals and teammates this year. Hopefully, he can climb out of that parched win category soon and seal his shot to the championship.